Between Crimson Skies

The Lost Scrolls of the Clan War

The Death of Ikoma Ryozo

5

OCT/10

The adventure began with dawn falling over the village of Satoshin Mura. The characters passed a night of ill dreams and ill luck as they were ambushed by the silent, ghostly white assassins. Kitsuki Minoru bore the brunt of the ill dreams as he was visited with a vision of his brother prophesying his failure.

After waking the characters moved quickly to find Bento to question him about their would-be murderers. Bento expressed deep apology and regret for the attack. After their conversation he sent his nephew, Goro to collect the bodies of the dead from his hut and to assist the characters in their further investigations. Upon touching the bodies however, Goro became the victim of a parasitic organism which seemed to explode from the base of the dead men’s skulls. Moving quickly Isawa Toshimoko was quick to stop the spread of the debilitating acid, but the damage had been done. Regretfully, the characters made the decision to burn the bodies in the hut, and to claim the head of the child Goro.

Having realized that he had forgotten his brother’s journals back at the castle, Minoru lead the party back to Kyuden Ikoma to search the quarters which had belonged to his brother. When they came upon his rooms, they found that the room had been ransacked and that more importantly, the journal had been taken. In answer to her early summons, the characters met with Yogo Amia who had come into possession of the journal, claiming that she had purchased it from a merchant in town. She was all too happy to return it to it’s rightful owner, but not before having a very long and very “revealing” conversation with Minoru, who promised to meet her on another night to talk to further with her.

After reclaiming the journal the characters met with Shinjo Tsuro who (as they had witnessed earlier) was a noted expert on insects. After showing the carapaces of the insects they had found at the village. Tsuro identified the shells as those of the Conhuu beetle and confirmed that he had brought them into the village in order to prove the story of Kenta his long time companion and servant. Kenta, told the story of Ryozo’s birth to the party and claimed that Ryozo was the source of the corruption in Satoshin Mura. In order to corroborate his claims, the characters resolved to test Ryozo’s possible corruption with jade and crystal. It was also decided that Minoru would spend yet another sleepless night translating his brother’s journals from memory.

In the morning the characters met further to discuss their plan, no sooner had they returned from the market bearing jade and a few crystals when Matsu Hokitare came to collect them to present their findings about the village. Thinking quickly, Isawa Toshimoko cast a spell over the man which he buried deep in his subconscious. Durring the trail Hokitare called the characters to task for their cruel treatment of his master’s peasantry as well as the inability of the party to find the cause of the lack of production. Toshimoko activated his spell causing Hokitare to publicly embarrass himself and to be excused, leaving Ryozo alone to answer for himself. When asked to touch the finger of jade provided Ryozo at first refused, but the real test had been a crystal sent with Tsuro which showed undoubtedly the curse of the Ikoma Daimyo.

Rather than submitting to his shame, Ryozo challenged Kakita Hidaku to a duel in the garden, which ended after only three strikes- the last of which claimed his head.

Though the source of the corruption had been found, the characters were left with a feeling of unfinished business. The Conchuu beetles could not have been twisted by themselves, and though Ryozo’s presence may have been a blight on the land, there seems to be a far more sinister shadow creeping over the lands of the Ikoma…

Comments

“…a vision of his brother prophesying his failure.” Specific failure? How did Minoru-sama interpret this?

“Bento expressed deep apology and regret for the attack.” What did he know about the white assassins, if anything?

“Rather than submitting to his shame, Ryozo challenged Kakita Hidaku to a duel in the garden, which ended after only three strikes- the last of which claimed his head.” Who is the Ikoma Daimyo now? Has the new Daimyo any public plans for his kinsman’s assassin?